editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94As NPR's correspondent covering campaign finance and lobbying, Peter Overby totes around a business card that reads Power, Money & Influence Correspondent. Some of his lobbyist sources call it the best job title in Washington. Overby was awarded an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia silver baton for his coverage of the 2000 campaign and the 2001 Senate vote to tighten the rules on campaign finance. The citation said his reporting "set the bar" for the beat. In 2008, he teamed up with the Center for Investigative Reporting on the Secret Money Project , an extended multimedia investigation of outside-money groups in federal elections. Joining with NPR congressional correspondent Andrea Seabrook in 2009, Overby helped to produce Dollar Politics , a multimedia examination of the ties between lawmakers and lobbyists, as Congress considered the health-care overhaul bill. The series went on to win the annual award for excellence in Washington-based reporting given by the Radio and TelevisionNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Peter OverbySat, 12 May 2018 08:08:30 +0000Peter Overbyhttp://ketr.org
Peter OverbyWere Trump Lawyer Cohen's Actions Legal?http://ketr.org/post/were-trump-lawyer-cohens-actions-legal
111465 as http://ketr.orgFri, 11 May 2018 18:29:00 +0000Were Trump Lawyer Cohen's Actions Legal?Peter OverbyCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: His name is Yahya Sinwar. For a long time, he was in Israeli jails and a shadowy figure in the military wing of Hamas. Now he's head of the Gaza branch of the group and talking to the international press. The U.S. and Israel consider Hamas a terror group. But in Gaza, it's a political movement, and it's fueled weeks of protests on the border with Israel. Israeli troops have shot hundreds of Palestinians there, drawing criticism about its use of force. It says some were trying to breach the border fence. NPR's Daniel Estrin was at a press conference today with Gaza's Hamas leader. He joins us now. And, Daniel, I understand not very much has been heard about this man. So what did you learn? DANIEL ESTRIN, BYLINE: His name is Yahya Sinwar, as you said. He spent 20 years in Israeli prisons, convicted for the kidnapping and killing of Israeli soldiers. He was freed in a prisoner swap, and he's mostly stayed out of the public eyeDid Trump's Lawyer Michael Cohen Need To Register As A Lobbyist?http://ketr.org/post/did-trumps-lawyer-michael-cohen-need-register-lobbyist
111438 as http://ketr.orgThu, 10 May 2018 22:20:00 +0000Did Trump's Lawyer Michael Cohen Need To Register As A Lobbyist?Peter OverbyTrump And Campaign Finance Law: The Fundamentals Still Applyhttp://ketr.org/post/trump-and-campaign-finance-law-fundamentals-still-apply
111149 as http://ketr.orgThu, 03 May 2018 17:29:00 +0000Trump And Campaign Finance Law: The Fundamentals Still ApplyPeter OverbyNewly filed reports show Democratic House candidates outpacing Republicans in raising money for the midterm elections. Here's what's going on: 1. Democratic donors are excited by the possibility of gaining a House majority. At ActBlue, the digital fundraising platform used by many Democratic candidates, the House races are just part of a long-running surge. Executive Director Erin Hill said overall fundraising is about to overtake the total for the 2015-16 cycle. "We moved $750 million that cycle," she said. "We're at about 730 now, and it is April." The surge started with a big bump around January 2017, when President Trump took office. Hill told NPR they wondered why it happened and what it meant. "That was a new administration, people were protesting, and we thought, well, how sustainable can this possibly be? It turns out, incredibly sustainable," she said. 2. In some districts, Democrats "have more well-funded candidates than they know what to do with." That's how David Wasserman,In Many Districts, Democratic Challengers Have Raised As Much As GOP Incumbentshttp://ketr.org/post/many-districts-democratic-challengers-have-raised-much-gop-incumbents
110536 as http://ketr.orgWed, 18 Apr 2018 22:33:00 +0000In Many Districts, Democratic Challengers Have Raised As Much As GOP IncumbentsPeter OverbyCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: This is the day that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg begins testifying on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers have so many questions. They're worried about consumer privacy and about how Russian agents used Facebook, and Google and Twitter to manipulate voters in the presidential election. All of this has chilled the relationship between Washington and one of America's most powerful industries. Here's NPR's Peter Overby. PETER OVERBY, BYLINE: Zuckerberg last week gave reporters a preview of his crisis-management strategy for the hearings. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) MARK ZUCKERBERG: We didn't take a broad enough view of what our responsibility is, and that was a huge mistake. It was my mistake. OVERBY: The stakes are high. Zuckerberg and some others in Silicon Valley say regulation might be needed, a reversal of the industry's long-held position. NICOLE WONG: I think it's a watershed moment both for policymakers and technologyRelations Between Washington And Tech Industry Are Frostyhttp://ketr.org/post/relations-between-washington-and-tech-industry-are-frosty
110134 as http://ketr.orgTue, 10 Apr 2018 11:32:00 +0000Relations Between Washington And Tech Industry Are FrostyPeter OverbyAs Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg prepared for two congressional hearings coming this week, he gave reporters a look at his crisis-management strategy. "We didn't take a broad enough view of what our responsibility is," he said Wednesday , referring to Facebook policies that allowed political consultants to acquire data belonging to as many as 87 million Facebook users. "And that was a huge mistake. It was my mistake." The carefully worded apology defines Zuckerberg's position for Tuesday afternoon, when two Senate committees hold a joint hearing, and for a House committee hearing Wednesday. He is to be the only witness at each session. The stakes are high. The social media data problems have hurt Facebook's image, and chilled relations between Capitol Hill and the tech industry, one of America's most powerful sectors. Facebook, Google and Twitter all were exploited by Russian-backed operatives during the 2016 presidential election. Zuckerberg and some others in Silicon Valley sayLobbyists, Campaign Cash And Think Tanks: How Silicon Valley Tackled Politics http://ketr.org/post/lobbyists-campaign-cash-and-think-tanks-how-silicon-valley-tackled-politics
110075 as http://ketr.orgMon, 09 Apr 2018 09:00:00 +0000Lobbyists, Campaign Cash And Think Tanks: How Silicon Valley Tackled Politics Peter OverbyUpdated at 5:20 p.m. ET A federal judge has ruled that a lawsuit alleging President Trump is violating the anti-corruption sections of the Constitution, known as the emoluments clauses, can proceed. Federal District Judge Peter Messitte, in Greenbelt, Md., ruled that Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh and District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine have legal standing to sue Trump. They allege that Trump wrongly profits when foreign officials do business at the hotel he owns near the White House. This is the first victory for plaintiffs in the three emoluments lawsuits against Trump. A federal judge in New York City ruled in December that plaintiffs in a separate suit lacked standing; that case is being appealed. A hearing in a third lawsuit is scheduled for June 7. Frosh told NPR they expect to proceed with discovery — the process of obtaining relevant documents from Trump. But Messitte wants a second hearing in the case, in part to examine the meaning of the emolumentsEmoluments Lawsuit Against President Trump Allowed To Proceedhttp://ketr.org/post/emoluments-lawsuit-against-president-trump-allowed-proceed
109445 as http://ketr.orgWed, 28 Mar 2018 20:43:00 +0000Emoluments Lawsuit Against President Trump Allowed To ProceedPeter OverbyThe way some of President Trump's Cabinet officials tell it, their recent negative headlines haven't been about difficulties complying with federal ethics laws, but rather about "the optics." Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin, in a House committee's hot seat last month after taking his wife on a government-funded trip to Europe, said, "I do recognize the optics of this are not good. I accept the responsibility for that." Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., questioning Shulkin, snapped back: "It's not the optics that are not good. It's the facts that are not good." The optics versus the facts. That's the problem. "I wonder whether there is actually ethics blindness on the part of the Trump administration — because it's not just a problem of optics, it's a problem of ethics," said Kathleen Clark, a professor of legal and governmental ethics at Washington University law school in St. Louis. Another Trump Cabinet official under fire for questionable spending, Housing and Urban AffairsWhy Trump Appointees Refer To 'Optics' When Discussing Spending Scandalshttp://ketr.org/post/why-trump-appointees-refer-optics-when-discussing-spending-scandals
109320 as http://ketr.orgMon, 26 Mar 2018 10:52:00 +0000Why Trump Appointees Refer To 'Optics' When Discussing Spending ScandalsPeter OverbyThe British data-mining firm Cambridge Analytica has gone from mysterious genius to potential defendant as details emerge about its role in Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign. With conservative strategist Steve Bannon playing a founding role, backed by money from billionaire Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah, the firm was able to develop data from 50 million Facebook users into a psychologically-based strategy to target voters. Now there are legal questions about how it obtained that Facebook data. Investigations are gearing up in the U.S. and the U.K. The company this week suspended its CEO, Alexander Nix, over comments he made to undercover reporters from the British Television 4 News. U.S. campaign finance law may have a lot to say about this. Here are some of the biggest questions. 1. Did Cambridge Analytica have a role in running the Trump campaign? To hear Nix in the Television 4 News report, his firm handled almost everything except those Make America Great Again caps.Cambridge Analytica's Role In Trump's 2016 Campaign Raises Potential Legal Flagshttp://ketr.org/post/cambridge-analyticas-role-trumps-2016-campaign-raises-potential-legal-flags
109134 as http://ketr.orgWed, 21 Mar 2018 17:42:00 +0000Cambridge Analytica's Role In Trump's 2016 Campaign Raises Potential Legal FlagsPeter OverbyThe Federal Election Commission, better known for deadlocks than decisions, has unanimously agreed to take a first step against anonymous political advertising on the internet. The proposed rule deals with disclaimers — the "authorized by" taglines that are mandatory in print, television and radio ads that explicitly support or attack candidates. The proposal would update FEC regulations dating back to 2006, when cutting-edge digital politicking involved buying ads on websites and blogs, mobile apps were just surfacing and internet-connected appliances were beyond the horizon. Those earlier regulations generally used the existing rules for radio and TV advertising. Now, with the commission under pressure to deal with digital ads, chair Caroline Hunter, a Republican, and vice chair Ellen Weintraub, a Democrat, negotiated a compromise that blends provisions from both sides into a single proposed rule. The proposal will be shaped through public comments over 60 days, and a June 27 publicLong-Divided Federal Election Commission Unites On Digital Ad Transparencyhttp://ketr.org/post/long-divided-federal-election-commission-unites-digital-ad-transparency
108880 as http://ketr.orgThu, 15 Mar 2018 16:06:00 +0000Long-Divided Federal Election Commission Unites On Digital Ad TransparencyPeter OverbyAt least for one more day, the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania are alive with the sound of campaign cash. Voters in the state's 18th Congressional District on Tuesday elect a new member of Congress. It's a surprisingly close race in this reliably Republican district between Democratic former prosecutor Conor Lamb and Republican state legislator Rick Saccone. GOP and conservative groups are shoveling in dollars to overcome Saccone's lackluster fundraising — this despite his claim that he "was Trump before Trump was Trump." The Center for Responsive Politics reported Friday the two sides had spent a total of $15.6 million — slightly more than the most costly House races in 2016, although far less than the maelstrom of a special election in Georgia last year, which cost $69.2 million. Republicans have poured more than twice as much as Democrats into the Pennsylvania race. That flood of spending comes even though the district won't exist after this November's election, following theGOP Pours Cash Into Pennsylvania Special Election To Prevent An Upset Defeathttp://ketr.org/post/gop-pours-cash-pennsylvania-special-election-prevent-upset-defeat
108703 as http://ketr.orgMon, 12 Mar 2018 09:00:00 +0000GOP Pours Cash Into Pennsylvania Special Election To Prevent An Upset DefeatPeter OverbyOne regular part of White House press briefings these days is the update on corruption allegations in Trump's Cabinet. Most recently, the questions have focused on Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin, who piggybacked a minivacation on taxpayer-paid travel to two conferences in Europe, and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, a gifted brain surgeon in trouble for ordering custom-made chairs, dining table and hutch for his office. They cost $31,000. "On Secretary Carson, the order that you referenced was canceled, and they're looking for another option that's much more responsible with taxpayer dollars," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told a reporter at the briefing Friday, offering a halfhearted defense of Carson. At least seven current and former officials in Trump's 24-member Cabinet have faced accusations of abusing the perks of their office. Tom Price, the former head of the Department of Health and Human Services, lost his job after it wasTrump's Cabinet Scandals: Is Abuse Of Office Contagious? http://ketr.org/post/trumps-cabinet-scandals-abuse-office-contagious
108571 as http://ketr.orgThu, 08 Mar 2018 10:22:00 +0000Trump's Cabinet Scandals: Is Abuse Of Office Contagious? Peter OverbyCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: Let's look now at a scandal in the Trump administration that has not made a lot of headlines. It involves several Cabinet officials and the ways they've spent taxpayer money. NPR's Peter Overby has our story. PETER OVERBY, BYLINE: The latest Cabinet member in the hot seat is Ben Carson, former brain surgeon, Republican primary rival to Trump, now Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. He's in trouble over custom-made furniture for his office - a dining table, 10 chairs and a hutch, price tag $31,000. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended him sort of at last Friday's briefing. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS: On Secretary Carson, the order that you referenced was canceled, and they're looking for another option that's much more responsible with taxpayer dollars. OVERBY: Trump has already fired one Cabinet secretary, Tom Price of Health and Human Services. He took charterFinding Common Threads In Trump Cabinet Members' 'Unethical Behavior'http://ketr.org/post/finding-common-threads-trump-cabinet-members-unethical-behavior
108559 as http://ketr.orgWed, 07 Mar 2018 23:39:00 +0000Finding Common Threads In Trump Cabinet Members' 'Unethical Behavior'Peter OverbyUpdated at 2 p.m. ET A federal ethics agency has ruled that one of President Trump's closest White House aides twice broke the law separating government from politics. Kellyanne Conway, who was Trump's campaign manager in 2016, advocated for Republican Roy Moore in Alabama's recent Senate election during live television interviews broadcast from the White House lawn. The Office of Special Counsel found Conway violated the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from using their office for partisan politics. OSC is an independent federal ethics agency that has no relationship with Department of Justice special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference with the 2016 election. In two interviews on the Alabama race, one with Fox News and one with CNN, Conway spoke in front of the White House using her official title, counselor to the president, while repeatedly attacking the Democratic candidate, Doug Jones. "Doug Jones in Alabama, folks, don't be fooled. He will beKellyanne Conway Violated Federal Ethics Rules, Watchdog Agency Sayshttp://ketr.org/post/kellyanne-conway-violated-federal-ethics-rules-watchdog-agency-says
108484 as http://ketr.orgTue, 06 Mar 2018 18:48:00 +0000Kellyanne Conway Violated Federal Ethics Rules, Watchdog Agency SaysPeter OverbyThere's nothing like adversity to get political donors reaching for their credit cards, which made 2017 – Donald Trump's first year as president – the best year yet for the Democratic nonprofit ActBlue. A conduit more than a solicitor of cash, ActBlue has been around since 2004. It's played a role in some of the Democrats' big fundraising successes, some fueled by a candidate's personality or message, and now increasingly stoked by anger or fear. In a midterm election year where Democrats are running grassroots campaigns with first-time candidates, the fundraising platform is tapping anti-Trump sentiment like never before. In 2017, ActBlue raised a record $522.7 million for Democratic candidates and causes. By comparison, the Trump presidential campaign committee took in $350.7 million over two years for the 2016 election. The site also stores the credit card numbers of 4.4 million Democratic donors (adding one million in 2017), allowing those donors to seamlessly give to multipleTrump Powers Small Dollar Donor Surge For Democratic Fundraising Site http://ketr.org/post/trump-powers-small-dollar-donor-surge-democratic-fundraising-site
108184 as http://ketr.orgTue, 27 Feb 2018 10:00:00 +0000Trump Powers Small Dollar Donor Surge For Democratic Fundraising Site Peter OverbyUpdated Feb. 15 at 5:30 p.m. ET President Trump's inaugural committee raised twice as much as any of its predecessors, but its final filing with the IRS shows it spent most of the money on events that were significantly scaled back from past years. The Trump committee raised $106.8 million, roughly twice as much as President Barack Obama's 2009 committee. Insiders suggested substantial gifts to charity with the unspent funds. Thomas Barrack, a Trump ally and president of the inaugural committee, told the Daily Beast last fall that the IRS filing "will show that millions of dollars of reserve funds will be allocated to various charities, institutions, and foundations in an amount that will surely exceed any previous inauguration." The filing doesn't exactly show that. The committee gave $1 million each to the American Red Cross, Salvation Army and Samaritan's Purse in 2017. The filing shows three more contributions: $1 million to the White House Historical Association, $750,000 to theTrump's Inauguration: Record Spending Leaves Little For Charitieshttp://ketr.org/post/trumps-inauguration-record-spending-leaves-little-charities
107719 as http://ketr.orgThu, 15 Feb 2018 22:33:00 +0000Trump's Inauguration: Record Spending Leaves Little For CharitiesPeter OverbyCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: The story of President Trump's alleged sexual encounter with an adult film star is a little more complicated today. A personal attorney to Trump, Michael Cohen, told The New York Times he was the one who paid hush money to Stephanie Clifford, known professionally as Stormy Daniels. Now the question is, was that payment to help Trump win the election? NPR's Peter Overby reports. PETER OVERBY, BYLINE: The payment was $130,000. Cohen told The Times it was a private transaction not connected to the campaign. Quote, "I used my own personal funds to facilitate a payment to Stephanie Clifford." He said, quoting again, "neither The Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction, and neither reimbursed me for the payment either directly or indirectly." So he's saying it didn't come from the two organizations targeted in a legal complaint to the Federal Election Commission. But that may not settle the issue. PAULTrump Lawyer Says He Paid Former Adult Film Star $130,000 In A Private Transactionhttp://ketr.org/post/trump-lawyer-says-he-paid-former-adult-film-star-130000-private-transaction
107653 as http://ketr.orgWed, 14 Feb 2018 22:55:00 +0000Trump Lawyer Says He Paid Former Adult Film Star $130,000 In A Private TransactionPeter OverbyPresident Trump has picked a new chief for the Office of Government Ethics, seven months after the last confirmed head of the agency quit in frustration over his conflicts with the White House. Emory A. Rounds III is an associate counsel at OGE, a career civil servant who previously served in the ethics office of the Commerce Department and in the Navy's Judge Advocate General's Corps, or the JAG Corps . The White House announced Wednesday that Trump intends to nominate Rounds as OGE director for a five-year term that requires Senate confirmation. Rounds "is somebody who plays it by the book," said Richard Painter, the former White House ethics counsel to President George W. Bush. He hired Rounds as a deputy counsel. "He insists that the rules be enforced, and interpreted very strictly." Painter added: "I did not know whether he was a Democrat or a Republican or an independent, when I was there at the White House. He didn't consider it relevant, what his party affiliation was, andTrump's Choice For Ethics Chief Wins Praise As 'Somebody Who Plays It By The Book'http://ketr.org/post/trumps-choice-new-ethics-chief-wins-praise-somebody-who-plays-it-book
107425 as http://ketr.orgFri, 09 Feb 2018 10:00:00 +0000Trump's Choice For Ethics Chief Wins Praise As 'Somebody Who Plays It By The Book'Peter OverbyAfter the Watergate scandals in the 1970s, Congress passed a series of laws to reduce the influence of big donors in politics and to increase transparency. Forty years later, those laws have been weakened by additional legislation and a series of court decisions. Where the Watergate reforms established a single regulated system used by all candidates to finance their political campaigns, there are now three separate systems. Candidates and the political parties work mainly within vestigial, regulated system of the 1970s. Big donors benefit from a largely unregulated system that caters to them. And small-dollar, grass-roots supporters use the Internet to give spontaneously or on an automated schedule. In 2016, individuals spent $5.2 billion on federal elections. Half of that money, $2.6 billion, came from just 19,145 people, about as many as live in Johnstown, Pa. All of this comes from new research from the Bipartisan Policy Center , which examines American's campaign finance systemCampaign Finance System Of Big Money Now Overshadows Watergate-Era Reformshttp://ketr.org/post/campaign-finance-system-big-money-now-overshadows-watergate-era-reforms
107331 as http://ketr.orgWed, 07 Feb 2018 10:00:00 +0000Campaign Finance System Of Big Money Now Overshadows Watergate-Era ReformsPeter OverbyCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: Here's a statistic to chew on as congressional candidates chase money for midterm elections. This stat is from 2016. That year, individual donors gave or spent $5 billion and half of that came from 19,000 people - about the population of Johnstown, Pa. While small donors are giving more than ever, the campaign finance system has changed dramatically to benefit the wealthy. NPR's Peter Overby reports. PETER OVERBY, BYLINE: In July 2015, presidential hopeful Rick Perry ripped one of his rivals in a speech. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) RICK PERRY: A barking carnival act that can best be described as Trumpism. OVERBY: Perry's campaign ended less than two months later. Now he's President Trump's energy secretary. But the setting for his speech - he was at a forum paid for by a friendly superPAC - that's something with staying power. Perry was starved for cash. The law caps contributions to candidates at $2,700. The superPAC thatHow The Campaign Finance System Has Changed To Benefit The Wealthyhttp://ketr.org/post/how-campaign-finance-system-has-changed-benefit-wealthy
107316 as http://ketr.orgTue, 06 Feb 2018 21:27:00 +0000How The Campaign Finance System Has Changed To Benefit The Wealthy